Issue 2 - Page 2

WelcomeBo

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Pupils from Rydal Penrhos continue to reach new heights with record achievements at the top of the A-level scale.

Out of 41 A-level candidates, 40% were awarded A* and A grades (the A* isawarded to candidates who score more than 90% in their final papers). Fourteen candidates achieved at least one A*, and the outgoing Head Boy, Thomas Warrington, was awarded 4 A*s, which has secured him a place at CambridgeUniversity to study Engineering. Eleanor Murphy, Natasha Kanvinde and GaryWu were awarded 2 A*s each, and Harriet Barlow, Nick Bellamy, Freya Cassia andWilliam Pullman also scored on apiece. The top grades were achieved in Biology,Chemistry, Design and Technology, English Literature, Mathematics, FurtherMathematics and Religious Studies. Just over 64% of pupils scored grades A*-B, which is an improvement on last year’s best-ever figure for those grades atthe school.

The results of the International Baccalaureate were published in July. The average points score of 31.6 for the 26 candidates was an improvement on last year’sperformance, representing the equivalent to 2 A*s and an A grade for each candidate. Amelia Dunton, Deputy Head Girl, scored 42 points out of a maximum45, and Joel Sugarman scored a very impressive 39. Amelia is going to study English at Leeds, while Joel will be studying Medicine at University College, London.

When the A-level and International Baccalaureate results are combined, the averageUCAS score is 367 points, which represents the equivalent of three A grades for

each candidate. These results confirm that the school excels in preparing its pupils to achieve real academic success in the Sixth form. The breadth of subjects in which pupils achieved the highest grades – four A*s in English Literature alone – shows that the school equips its pupils for a wide range of university courses as the next stage towards their chosen careers.

Year 11 candidates celebrated their GCSEs, with some excellent individual and subject achivements. The results reflectthe hard work that the pupils have put into their exams, and the year groupscored an average eight-and-a-half A*-C passes.

Lydia Davidson achieved a clean sheet of 10 A*s, and Hannah Davies, Sophie Cashell, Alexander Farnell and Sara Popa scored all A*s and As. Laurie Brummitt and Jingyi Xie also scored 20 As and A*s between them,and a total of 18 pupils achieved at least seven A* or A grades each.

A good number of subjects, including Biology, Chemistry, Drama, English,Physics, Spanish and Welsh achieved a 100% pass rate at A*-C.

Exam Results 2012

Visitors to Rydal Penrhos frequently remark on the attractiveness of the campus, and the quality of our facilities andgrounds, which present a year-round challenge to our hard-working and inventive Estates department; just this summer, forexample, the department has undertaken the refurbishment of Ashcroft boarding house, which is now the new home ofHathaway house, and created a new Lower School centre for Years 7 and 8. In As You Like It Duke Senior declares, ‘thisour life...Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, Sermons in stones, and good in every thing’, and we hopethat the setting of the school inspires and encourages our pupils to enjoy their learning and aspire to do the best they canin their public exams in sport and in other extra-curricular activity. We have just embarked on a new academic year with highhopes of building on the successes and achievements described in this newsletter, and that applies to the unsung heroesand heroines of the school just as much as to those who have won the prizes and accolades recorded here. Regardless ofwhat the politicians choose to do with the public exam system, we aim to instil our pupils with lasting values and the confidence to step out positively to the future.

Patrick Lee-Browne, Headmaster

Issue 2 - Page 3

Saturday 29 September, 9am-12pmPreparatory, Pre-Prep and Early Years Open Day

Saturday 6 October, 9am-12pm Rydal Penrhos Open Da y

Friday 9 November, 9.30am-12pmForest School Open Morning

Wednesday 12 November, 6.30pmInformation evening for new Year 7 parents

Tuesday 13 November, 6.30pmInto the Sixth Information Evening

View our complete calendar of events atwww.rydalpenrhos.com

Rydal Penrhos School was awash with well thought-out arguments and opinions, as pupils in Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 tookturns competing in the Inter-House Public Speaking Competition. With subjects rangingfrom modern art, chocolate, evolution, the media and Facebook,the competition was hugely informative for the assembled audience of peers and teachers, andthe judging panel of six pupils fromthe Lower Sixth form. Pupils were required to decide upon and researchtheir topic, develop their opinion andarguments, write a speech and present as part of the competition.

The judges were impressed by the range of topic choices, theconfident and fluent delivery of the pupils and their rhetorical skills. The Years 7 & 8 competition was jointly wonby Oliver Smethurst (not pictured) and Lily Spillane, withthird place awarded to Caroline Large. The Years 9 & 10 competition was won by Glen Davies for his highly engagingarguments and in-depth research. Joint second place wasawarded to Eve Davies and Gabriel McCluskey.

Academic News

www. r yda lpen rhos. com

Leavers’ Destinations

Upcoming Open Events

The school is happy to report great success at securing chosen university places this year for both A-level and IB students. Atthe time of going to press, many IB students are still in the process of applying for universities in mainland Europe, the USAor the Far East (who recruit later than UK universities).

Amongst the many successes this year were Tom Warrington with 4 A*s, nowgoing on to study Engineering at Cambridge, and Gary Wu with 2 A*s and 2 As who will study Accountancy at Bristol. Nick Bellamy secured his place toread Medicine in Edinburgh while Amy Yu goes to City University, London, toread Economics. Mandy Lau, who achieved 3 A grades, will study Business inHong Kong. Julienne Krool, with 4 As, is taking a year out as are CatherineDavies and Anna Stevenson who also achieved straight As. Amongst our IB students, Amelia Dunton is going to study English at Leeds, and Joel Sugarmanwill read Medicine at University College, London.

Mike Farnell, Head of UCAS and Careers

Public Speaking ChallengeThe Olympic Games inspired the work of the Lower Sixthform as they carried out a Science Project, which forms partof the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma.

From testing the effectiveness of different brands of sun lotion, analysing how the sugar in energy drinks really affectsperformance, or the effect different music genres have on heartrate, pupils planned and researched their subjects thoroughly.They then undertook experiments to support theirtheories. In groups of four orfive, pupils analysed their results along with the social,ethical, economic and environmental implicationsof their topic.

To complete their projects, pupils presented their findings topupils and teachers, creating interactive displays in the ScienceLabs. Younger pupils were invited to participate in experimentsand research as they explored the different projects to help theSixth form pupils to complete their studies. Pupils in Year 7 inparticular were fascinated by the displays and encouraged otherpupils to visit the Science Labs to find out more.

Inspired by the Olympics

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It took our Borneo Team, consisting of Rydal Penrhos pupils from the ages of 15 to 18,nearly a year and a half to prepare for our expedition to Borneo, the third largest island inthe world. We spent much of this time planning, as well as completing a practice expedition in Snowdonia, several other team development activities, and running a seriesof fundraising events.

After so long preparing, on 17 July we finally caught a bus (the first of very, very many!)from Colwyn Bay, to Hayes Community College in London. We began 30 hours of travelthe next morning to get to Kota Kinabalu, Borneo. This included a nine-hour wait inBrunei airport. From Brunei it was a short, 40-minute flight to Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Malaysian Borneo’s Sabah district. Arriving in the City Park Lodge(our base for the next three weeks), hot and tired, at around 9pm local time it wasn’t long untilwe had all collapsed onto our beds. The next day began with a seven-hour bus journey acrossthe country to the MESCOT headquarters, on the Kinabatangan River, and after a briefintroduction we were soon on a boat heading downstream to our new home deep in the flood-plain rainforest. Here we set up our hammocks and got settled in.

We spent the next two days in the jungle learning about the plants and animals around us andcollecting over 1,000 saplings to help with afforestation. One particular highlight was spottinga wild Orang-utan on one of the river cruises! On the third day, however, it was even hotterthan before. The day’s task was clearing out an area of elephant grass, a very stubborn, invasive species that had overtaken areas previously cleared by logging. After four hardhours of chopping and slashing with machetes in the sweltering heat and humidity, and 40 litresof water later, everyone was struggling with heat-stroke to varying degrees. We had managed toclear an area three or four times bigger than our guides had been expecting, (partly down to determination, but mostly due to Sam Heron’s utter efficiency!) so we headed back to camp feeling tired but very proud of our achievements.

We went back to the site on the following day and planted some of the saplings we had collected, before travelling back to HQ to be assigned to our home-stay families. We were divided into pairsto live, eat and sleep in these family’s houses for two nights, whilst also working on various community projects. On the final night, we gave a cultural performance for the local people,demonstrating the best of British sports.

The next morning we took a bus to the Sepilok Orang-utan rehabilitation centre, founded in1964, and apart from being able to see Orang-utans, we were also all overjoyed to finally haveflushing toilets again! We arrived just in time for a somewhat unexpected performance from agroup of Macaque monkeys before the Orang-utans arrived for the morning feeding session.

After our short stay at Sepilok, we had a rest day in City Park Lodge back in Kota Kinabalu before travelling to Miki’s Survival Camp, which lies on private land at the foot of Mount Kinabalu. While here, we learnt some rudimentary survival skills, such as fire-building, someof the many uses of bamboo, including trap-building, and how to skin and cook the animalswe caught. Ben Proudlove, the expedition leader, took all this learning to heart and became onlythe third person in 13 years to catch an animal (a squirrel) in his trap whilst at the jungle camp!

From there, our group journeyed to the very base of Mount Kinabalu itself, the 20th highest inthe world, standing at 4095.4m. It took nearly five hours for us to reach the hut where we wouldspend the night, about 800m below the summit. Leaving the hut at 3am the next morn-ing we climbed the final 3km, but as we got higher and higher, the walking becamemuch harder as altitude sickness, fatigue and a lack of oxygen began to take their toll.We reached the summit at about 7am and looked out over the stunning views feeling exhausted but ecstatic as we all knew we had achieved something remarkable.

After another bus journey back to Kota Kinabalu, we spent the night recovering in CityPark Lodge before travelling by boat to the TAR islands the next morning for somemuch needed R&R. We spent the last couple of days of the expedition relaxing on thesandy beaches, snorkelling on the coral reefs and playing volley ball against the locals.

We stayed a final night in City Park Lodge before leaving for the long journey home.The expedition was all but over and each us knew that we had learned many newthings about ourselves, our capability to work as a team in difficult situations, our own personal thresholds for fatigue and, indeed, pain, how to cope with extraordinary andlife-changing opportunities and so many other lessons that will undoubtedly remainwith us for the rest of our lives.

Adventures in BorneoBo

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With thanks to Oscar Sanchez for his fantasticphotographs and Tom Warrington and Sam

Heron for their account of the trip.

Speech Day

Issue 2 - Page 5

“I must start by thanking Tom and Catherine: theyhave been excellent role models for the rest of theschool, because they embody many of the qualitiesthat we want to foster in all our pupils: integrity, agenuine and well-developed intellectual appetite, areal sense of fairness, obvious ability to take responsibility and a willingness to join in such a widerange of school activities at a high level.

Here, today, more than ever we need to prepare ouryoung people for an uncertain future; maybe not justa blip, but a permanent state of insecurity. Thatpreparation includes learning to work in teams, learning to respect other peoples’ differences, developing self-discipline and intellectual and emotional stamina; it includes being willing to takerisks and put yourself outside your comfort zone,being willing to come in early to prepare for an eventor an activity, or staying late to make sure that it is asuccess; and it also includes learning how to be resilient, to be patient and to be able to read peopleand situations effectively.

The landscape of higher education has changed sodramatically in the last twenty years, dominated by issues of the increasing competition for places at thebest universities, questions about the quality of A-levels as preparation for university study becauseschools feel obliged to teach to the test rather thaneducating young people more broadly for life andwork, tuition fees, and the marketization of universities that sets a value on different degree subjects and differentiates increasingly betweenteaching and research.

Independent schools are uniquely experienced inmany of the areas that universities will have to workat: educational value for money, pastoral care, adviceon the next stage of pupils’ careers, the all-roundpreparation for life and, above all, building the understanding that the other things that you do areso important; the extra-curricular activities, thegroup identity, a moral and spiritual dimension toyour weekly routine, working with pupils who maybe younger, or less able, or come from a very different part of the world, or from very differentfamily circumstances – all these things give ourpupils a proper preparation for university and for thelife beyond.

Two prominent characteristics of the education weprovide are so important in preparing pupils foradult life: our international dimension and our commitment to a wide extra-curricular programme.

The opportunity for day pupils to enjoy the culturalbreadth that our boarding community represents isvery special, and gives them a unique experience ofliving and working in an international communitythat will prepare them for the multicultural andglobal job market that awaits them after university.By the same token, our international pupils thrive ina school community that is well grounded in the region and provides them with a unique experiencewhen they move on to the next stage of their lives.

That other USP is the extra-curricular dimension ofthe school. Remember the competition for university places, and the expectations on the jobcandidates of the future to stand out from the rest,not just in a list of activities and achievements, butin who they are as a person. Academic results remaincentral to a successful application, but there is also anever increasing demand for experience of problemsolving and teamworking in the workplace, independence and initiative, and resilience and self-discipline. To develop pupils’ skills in those areas, weoffer a very wide core of extra-curricular activitiesthat include team games and individual sports, outdoor education, house competitions, clubs andsocieties, art, music, drama which have gone fromstrength to strength.

Our objective this year was to develop an enrichmentprogramme for the lower school that includes arange of intellectual, cultural and practical activitiesto stimulate pupils’ interest, and a service programme for Year 11 and the Sixth form, and weare very pleased with the progress that the new initiatives have made. I know from many years ofworking with secondary pupils that the ones whostand out and command attention are those with interests, opinions, a willingness to challenge andquestion; in other words, an extra dimension beyondthe syllabus and the compulsory curriculum.

I would like to thank all the teaching and supportstaff for their contribution to the school over thecourse of the last year. They continue to work reallyhard to bring out the best in the pupils, and not onlyin the classroom, but just as much on the rockface,the orchestra rehearsal, in the drama studio, thegames field or Astroturf, in debating, art, learning orlanguage support, while being on duty in the boarding house or taking a weekend trip to Liverpool or a theatre trip to Llandudno, the addedvalue that they offer provides that inspiration thatmotivates the pupils to aspire higher.”

To read the Headmaster’s speech in full, and that of the Guest of Honour, Sarah Kearsley-Wooller please visit our website www.rydalpenrhos.com where the full list ofprize winners can also be found.

Speech Day this year took place on a gloriously sunny June day in the celebration marquee onNew Field. The Headmaster Mr Patrick Lee-Browne started by greeting the Chairman, GuestSpeaker, Mrs Kearsley-Wooller, the Mayor, Governors, Alumni, parents and members of theschool.

Year 11 English, French & GermanSara Popa

Edwards Prize for Art & Design,Margaret Holden Prize for EnglishLiterature and Religious Studies

Eleanor Murphy

IB Prize for Economics Jakob Schrandt

The Rick Maple Design Technology Project Prize

Thomas Kirby

The Jane Crosland Good Samaritan Cup

Adam Garrett

A selection ofprize winners

Issue 2 - Page 6

Sixth Form The Sixth form is an exciting transition from the structuredworld of the compulsory years of education towards the totalindependence of university life.

Pupils are equipped with ‘skills for life’ and receive excellent levels of tutor contact and have individual education plans toassist them with their studies.

Since 2004 we have offered Sixth form pupils the opportunityto study AS/A-levels and the International Baccalaureate. Thisyear also sees the introduction of the OCR Nationals in Sportand Tourism, allowing pupils to follow their pathway to newhorizons.

The school recognises the importance of enhancing the leadership qualities of the Sixth form as it helps pupils to become ‘all-rounded’ individuals. There are significant opportunities to take part in activities including sport, dramaand music. In addition pupils take part in a two-day LeadershipCourse which is used as part of the process for selecting schoolprefects. All prefects become involved in leadership of the restof the school through running a number of committees, suchas Charity, Social, Sustainable Development and Management.

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Head Boy – Henry SalisburySince joining the School in Year 7, Henry has been involved in a huge range of activities including sailing, skiing, hockey, rugby, football, cricket, tennis, swimming, ski trips, drama productions, debating competitionsand RNLI services to name just afew!

During his year as Head Boy, Henry,who is studying the InternationalBaccalaureate, aims to integrate thewhole school by bringing membersof each year group closer together, to make a biggerand better family.

“I am very excited for the new school year and am ready for thechallenges that lie ahead.”

Henry will be applying to Oxford, Imperial College,Edinburgh, Durham and Exeter to study Geophysics,before following his ambition of joining the oil industry.

During her year as Head Girl, Annabel hopes to helpthe integration between year groups, bringing the schoolas a whole closer together. Annabel will set a good example to those in years below andis a fantastic role model as she takespart in a huge number of group activities, including choir, drama, orchestra and sporting teams – andshe has recently raced in the CrossCountry Championships. The complete mix of international students and the family atmosphereare the things that Annabel most enjoys about RydalPenrhos.

She says, “I am thoroughly looking forward to the year ahead,and hope I can fulfil the role to its expectations.”

Annabel hopes to pursue a career in medicine and willbe applying to Cambridge, Cardiff, Newcastle and Bristol universities.

Head Girl – Annabel Large

Prefects 2012-13

Henry and Annabel will be assisted throughout the yearby Deputies Roy Sterling, Valentin Abend, LauraNunez-Mulder and Jaime Chan along with Senior Prefects; Leonie Bartels, Vanessa Biermannova, JackBraund, Max Davies, Ann Yu Engebretsen, JamesFulker, Emily Harrison, Natalia Holgate, Annika Lenz,Max Lenzer, Pia Roth and Oliver Sharples.

www. r yda lpen rhos. com

Issue 2 - Page 7

Reflections on Life in Year 7

www. r yda lpen rhos. com

When I started Senior School I didn’t knowanyone so I joined the Choir. So far we havesung at St John’s Church and in the Memorial Hall. We rehearse every Fridayafter lunch. I sit with the Choir in Chapel.Through Choir I’ve got to know more people. Now I feel like I belong here and Iwas even voted Form Captain. Jessica

On Saturday, we visited the London Dungeons, it was terrifying! After that, a trip to the Tower of London wasan interesting experience, especially seeingthe crown jewels! We then made our waydown to the River Thames, for our boat tripwhere we learnt a lot about the city and its buildings.

Following some free time to shop aroundCovent Garden, we met up to have an Italian meal followed by the show

Starting a new school can be a daunting experience with new teachers, classrooms to find and new friends to make.Rydal Penrhos aims to integrate new pupils as quickly and smoothly as possible with the help of small classes, formtutors, the Head of Lower School and current pupils. We asked a few pupils in Year 7 to reflect on their experiencesduring their first year at Rydal Penrhos;

A weekend of sightseeing, theatre and fun awaited pupils from Year 7 as they travelled to London. Pupil LilySpillane has provided us with her account of the action-packed weekend:

London Calling

One of the best bits of Year 7has been getting ready for theLower School expedition toJordan. We have had to thinkof ways to raise money. I haverun a tuck shop and we havealso had a table top sale. TheJordan trip has made me usemy initiative and we have allhad to show enterprise. Finn

Once a week we have anafternoon of Activities.They are great fun. Thisyear I have done, amongothers, rock-climbing,sailing, camp-craft andbio-geography. I’ve enjoyed learning newskills and I’m looking forward to doing morenext year. Jack

I’m not a very organised person but being atSenior School has helped me because wehave a Planner and we are taught to fill inPrep and note down other important stuff. Ialso have an extra lesson to help with organisation and so I can do well in maths.

GabrielWhen I first came here I wasa bit shy and quiet. My tutororganised a ConversationClub for me and I go to itonce a week. Some girls inYear 9 and 10 talk to me andthis has helped me build upmy confidence, as well asmaking new friends.

Maheen

Year 7 has been a good year. Myconfidence has definitely grown andnow I ask lots more questions inclass. I look forward to new challenges now, because I know I amcapable of being organised, workingwith others and working independ-ently. Rydal Penrhos is a super-duper school and I hope I neverhave to move schools! Elysia

My Mum and Dad live in Nigeria soI came here as a Boarder. I likeboarding because I study more andI have made lots of friends. To me it’slike a sleepover! Boarding hastaught me to be more social andhow to be organised. Rydal Penrhosis awesome and now I have a wholefamily of new friends. Gabby

During the week at different times we have aprogramme called Enrichment. It’s lots ofactivities which help to develop skills e.g. debating, or jewellery-making. They’re goodfun because they don’t really feel like normallessons and you don’t realise you are learninguntil you think about what you’ve just done.The programme breaks up the school weekand makes it more enjoyable. Carmia

I didn’t know any other Year 7 pupils when Istarted here, but my Form were really niceand I got on with them all. In PSHE welearned about making and keeping friendsand discussed how to be a good friend toothers. The piece of advice I’d give for newpupils is just smile and treat everyone asyou’d wish to be treated. Matty

Some weekends, if my parents are goingaway I board at Beecholme. I enjoy it becauseI join in with everything. The last time I wasthere I walked to Rhos with a friend and webought an ice cream and went to the old-fashioned sweet shop. Rhys

“

Senior School has made me thinkabout how I learn. Before, when I

thought to myself “I need to work better”, I wasn’t sure what that meant, but now I’m beginning to see exactly what that involvesand how I should be doing it. Mostly it’sabout thinking hard and asking the teacherif you’re stuck. In Form Time we discuss ourgrades for Effort and Achievement and ourTutor helps us to set targets. Nicholas

“

‘Matilda’. It was terrific, and everyone enjoyed it, especially since the next day we heard it had won seven

Olivier Awards!

On Sunday, we had a tour of Madame Tussauds. The wax works were cool, and weall took a lot of pictures. We made our wayback to Euston, and travelled home. We allhad an amazing time and I for one want to goagain next year.

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Leavers’ Ball

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The annual Leavers’ Ball took place in the Celebration Marquee on New Fieldto welcome pupils in the Upper Sixth into the Rydal Penrhos Society and tocelebrate their time at School.

Photographs from the Leavers’ Ball can be viewed atwww.photoboxgallery.com/rps

Issue 2 - Page 9www. r yda lpen rhos. com

Year 11 Celebration DinnerYear 11 pupils celebrated the end of their academic year with a Celebration Dinnerwhich took place in the Ferguson Centre and the Dining Hall. The evening was thelast opportunity for the year group to spend an evening with friends before theirGCSE examinations began.

Photographs from the Celebration Dinner canbe viewed at www.photoboxgallery.com/rps

Issue 2 - Page 10 www. r yda lpen rhos. com

Creative Arts

Music to Fill the Corridors of Rydal Penrhos

It is with sadness we say goodbye to our former Head of Art, Karen Teal, who has taken up a position in Dulwich College International High School in Suzhou, China. Since joining Penrhos in 1990 she has applied her broad artistic experience to theservice of the school, and been equally inspiring with textiles, technology, fine art, ceramics, print and photography.

In her place we welcome Mark Sherrington (RS 75-86) who has spentthe last 12 years teaching Art to all age groups at Caterham School.

“After 25 years I am returning to Rydal Penrhos. I have a great deal less hairthan I did when I left, but my interest in Art is undiminished and I still have theenquiring mind that Rydal School helped to create.”

Mark will be initiating new techniques and ways of working, includingdry-point etching and latex model and mould making. There are alsoplans in place to create a small photographic studio in the Art department to enable pupils to control the lighting and environmentof their pictures. Alongside this, Mark hopes to set up a dark room towork side-by-side with a digital facility to develop photographs.

Vibrant pieces of art created by pupils will begin to appear around theschool and look out for surprise art exhibitions taking place aroundthe buildings!

Mark continues, “It is a very exciting time within the Art department and withthe help of our new teacher Anna Morgan and the experience and vibrancy thatSuzy Walsh can offer I am sure this next chapter within the Art Department atRydal Penrhos will be a fruitful and creative one.”

New Look to Art

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We are excited by the arrival of Julian Whittaker as the newDirector of Music at Rydal Penrhos, a role which he has already held for 15 years, the last seven of which were at YsgolBrynhyfryd, in Ruthin.

Julian has a reputation for his innovative, creative and inclusive teaching and his ethos of making music central to lifeof the school and the area. He loves enthusing young peopleto participate in diverse musical styles, giving everyone the opportunity to change their lives through music.

A choral conductor, pianist and viola player himself, Julian hasprepared choirs, bands and orchestras for tours and performances a-plenty in the past and hopes to have the sameopportunities at Rydal Penrhos. He anticipates competitions,tours home and abroad, making singing part of everyone’s

daily life in school, a try-a-new-instrument initiative, and developing a culture of performing anytime, any place, anywhere. Julian says, “Participatingin a musical activity and playing an instrument develops teamwork, enables you to make new friends, improves your maths and other subjects– and it is fun!”

Julian also wishes parents to getinvolved in all kinds of fun and exciting musical activities inschool – so please keep your eyeout for invitations to join in overthe coming months!

A-level art pieces, class of 2011/12

www. r yda lpen rhos. com

Dion joins Wales U18 Rugby

Cricket Success for Jack Jack Sissons has successfully secured a place in the WalesU13 Cricket Squad.

Despite a wet summer, Jack, 13, has had a very successfulcricket season, having also been selected to captain hisclub side, Llandudno. He also made his debut for theSchool’s 1st XI.

Sport

Sean Kitchen has been selectedfor the Wales U17 NationalCricket Squad.

Sean, who is also a member ofLlandudno Cricket Club, was selected for the national side following successful trials atEbbw Vale.

Sean’s father thanked Rydal Penrhos for the role the Schooland in particular Mr Leach, Headof PE & Games had in Sean’ssuccess, commenting, “We are particularly grateful for the timeand effort that Mr Leach and his team have given to Sean, whichhas undoubtedly helped his development.”

U17 Cricket Squad for Sean

Hannah is Youngest PlayerAt 14 years old, Hannah Cashellhas become the youngest member of the Wales U16Hockey Squad.

Hannah was selected for theWelsh team following a gruelling selection processwhich included a day of squadtraining followed by a two-daytraining camp in Wrexham.Hannah now has the opportunity to play in the squad forthree years.

The squad travelled to Holland over the summer holidays for a number of games where Hannah made her international debut.

Dion Jones, a WRU RGC Academyplayer was called up for the WalesU18s Squad for its tour of SouthAfrica which took place over thesummer.

As part of the Academy, Dion hasspent the last two years being putthrough a thorough programmethat covers all aspects of the modern game including technical,tactical, physical and mental skills.

Dion will study Sports Science atSwansea University from Autumn 2012, alongside which he hasalso been signed up to the Scarlets Academy Squad.

Of his fantastic achievement, Dion says, “Having this opportunitywith the Scarlets will help me develop further in my rugby, allowing training and possibly playing experiences with the seniors along with a chanceto study and pursue my academic career. These experiences and opportunities will help me develop into a player to playin the Wales U20s for 2013, should I be fortunate enough, and hopefullyone day I will achieve my dream of playing for Wales’s senior side.”

Dion was among the first to join the WRU RGC Academy atRydal Penrhos. The venture allows those selected for the Academy to follow an integrated timetable that includes study ofa wide range of academic and vocational courses together withbetween 14 and 16 hours of rugby development every week.

The training enables players to develop their skills on the pitch,as well as their physique and fitness, through the integrated programme, along with training with the RGC 1404. The Schoolprovides players with access to outstanding facilities, a strongrugby fixture programme and two highly qualified senior coaches.

Fantastic Five Selected to Represent Wales

Issue 2 - Page 11

Welsh Eventing Team Call-upUpper Sixth form pupil, Stephanie Hughes has been selected to represent Wales as part of the Under 18 Welsh Eventing Team.

Stephanie was chosen for the team following her performance at the Pony Club Championships held at Cholmondeley Castle, where her team were placed in 8th positionagainst teams from Scotland, England and Ireland.

Issue 2 - Page 12 www. r yda lpen rhos. com

The Methodist School Marathon saw pupils and staff take part in an initiative to complete the distance of a marathon aspart of the Methodist Schools celebrations of the Olympic Games taking place in London.

Taking part in their respective houses of Wesley, Osborn,Morgan and Payne, each team was challenged to completethe distance of a quarter of a marathon. A fierce competition took place as the teams raced to cover thedistance of 10,500 metres in the quickest time possible.

Wesley house emerged victorius with the delighted pupilspictured with an Olympic torch, kindly lent to the schoolfor the day by former pupil Keri Ringstead (RS 1998-2005). The total finishing time for the whole school was animpressive 2 hours 34 minutes and 20 seconds.

A fantastic video of the Marathon is available to view via our YouTube channel, which can be found atwww.youtube.com/rydalpenrhosschool

Pupils Complete Methodist MarathonBo

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Fab Season for TomosThe ski season ended on a high for the skiiers as they took part in theNorth Wales School Ski Championships in Runcorn.

The Girls’ team of Sara Owen, Seren Kerfoot-Robson, Pia Roth andVanessa Biermannova all produced runs that were quick enough to putthem on the podiums of the individual age category races and betweenthem they picked up three Gold medals and one Silver medal.

The Boys’ ‘A’ team went into the race asWelsh champions and were determinedto live up to their billing as favourites.Team members Sean Robinson, HenrySalisbury and Ben Crocker packed outthe podiums in the individual age category races, and also took home theNorth Wales Championship and Goldteam medals.

The Boys’ ‘B’ team of Solomon Kerfoot-Robson, Morgan Roberts andFinn Batley all produced great runs and their Bronze team medal clearlyshow the potential this young team have in the future.

Gold, Silver & Bronze for SkiiersTomos Cuddihy, 12, continues to impress in theswimming pool, having a particularly successful2011/12 season.

Starting well, Tomos achieved personal besttimes in all 12 of his races at Llandudno Swimming Club’s Championships where he set aclub record for the 100 metre freestyle. Tomos’good form continued as he won a number of silver medals and once again set personal best times for his races at the ConwyAutumn Open Meet.

The North Wales Gala took place in Februaryand saw Tomos swim in ten races, where he continued to impress by achieving personal bestsin all ten races. The Gala also saw Tomos winone gold, four silver and two bronze medals.

Tomos is currently ranked in the top 15 in Walesfor most of his events for his age group and isin the top five in North Wales.

The football team is headed by captain AndrewWelden this season and the coaches are Mike Farnell and Lee Williams. Football is a relativelynew sport in the school, but is well loved and supported by staff and pupils alike. The trainingis on Wednesdays from 5-6pm and fixtures startagain in the spring term. The one to watch thisyear is the Ellesmere match which was played andwon by the newly formed Rydal Penrhos team lastyear and they definitely intend to win again thisyear.

Football News

Issue 2 - Page 13www. r yda lpen rhos. com

Sports DinnerThe annual Sports Awards Dinner took place on 11 May tocelebrate the sporting achievements and contributions players have made to sport throughout their time in school.

For the first time, younger pupils who have played in seniorteams were invited to the dinner to help their team mates celebrate their successes. The evening began with Mr Leachreflecting on the past year’s team achievements in netball,hockey, rugby, football, tennis, cricket, fives, swimming andathletics before highlighting some impressive individual accomplishments.

Following a delicious three-course meal, the prizes for mostimproved player of the year were announced. They wereawarded by Richard Greenwood, special guest for the evening,who gained five caps for England and played for Rugby Romabefore turning his hand to coaching.

Most Improved Player of the Year 2011/2012

Girls’ Hockey Stephanie HughesNetball Beth MatherBoys’ Hockey Gleb ShakavetsRugby Andy WeldenGirls’ Tennis Laura SchamelBoys’ Tennis Max Neuendorf

Player of the Year

Girls’ Hockey Catherine DaviesNetball Catherine DaviesBoys’ Hockey Sean KitchenRugby Nick BellamyGirls’ Tennis Vanessa Biermannova Boys’ Tennis Adam Scarff

Most Outstanding Contribution to GamesDerbyshire Shield Catherine Davies

Morphy Cup Nick Bellamy

www. r yda lpen rhos. comIssue 2 - Page 14

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As part of the current extension plan there have been developments and improvements in the boarding houses during the spring and summer of 2012. Atpresent Rydal Penrhos has five boarding houses which are all conveniently locatedclose to the school and its sports facilities. The refurbishment is designed to housemore pupils and will see Hathaway relocate to Ashcroft at the top of PwllycrochanAvenue from September 2012. The refurbishment includes internal and externaldecoration and improvements in keeping with previous work in Netherton, Edwards and Walshaw.

Up to now Hathaway has been a Sixth form house. As a result of the refurbishment, from September 2012 new Hathaway will provide accommodation for pupils from Year 10 upwards, allowing greater flexibility and developing theprinciple of boarding houses that integrate all year groups – so-called ‘vertical boarding’. New Hathaway will have 28 beds,larger room sizes, more communal areas and improved amenities, as well as upgraded on-site staff accommodation.

Across the road from Hathaway, work has been taking place throughout the summer in Beecholme, where all the bedrooms on the top floor have been refurbished. Commenting on all the improvements Deputy Head (Pastoral) TimCashell said, “The redevelopments are part of a continual enhancement programme that the school is working on in orderto maintain extremely high standards of student living.”

Many of these recent changes have been based on feedback received from the Boarding Forum, a discussion group thattakes place regularly throughout term and provides opportunities for boarding pupils to express their likes and dislikesabout boarding in the school.

Living Room in Edwards

At Rydal Penrhos, a diverse programme of weekend activities forms an integral partof the school’s ethos for all pupils – both boarding and day. In the summer term,these activities included many trips that made the most of the school’s fantastic location close to the mountains and rivers of Snowdonia and the beaches of Anglesey. Pupils took part in white-water kayaking and gorge-walking in Snowdonia,and surfing in Rhosneigr. In addition, an outing to the Chill Factore in Manchester wasused as an ideal opportunity to practise skiing and snowboarding skills in preparationfor the school ski trip in 2013.

As well as sporting activities, Rydal Penrhos offers pupils a range of opportunitiesto become involved in the local community. Recent examples have included theregular tea parties held at St John’s church for elderly local residents, and the volunteer marshals provided by the school to help and support runners at the an-nual 10-mile race in Llandudno. Many pupils also enjoy the popular shopping excursions to Liverpool One and the Trafford Centre in Manchester, as well as thrill-seeking trips such as ice-skating, go-karting, or outings to Alton Towers.

Weekend Activities

Issue 2 - Page 15

Rydal Penrhos Society

www. r yda lpen rhos. com

The Autumn term will seesome real differences atRydal Penrhos PrepSchool.

Music lessons in Year 2will include learning therecorder and in Year 3,the violin. The teaching ofchess will be introduced in Year 2 and Years 3 to 6will have one lesson every fortnight of learning and thinking skills. These lessons will include topics such asmind-mapping, active thinking and learning, and differenttypes of questioning. Their aim is to enable all children tokeep alive the natural curiosity they have as young childrenas well as being able to stand out from the crowd, havingconfidence in their learning and thinking skills.

In the Prep department we are also introducing two afternoons of games as opposed to one. PE skills will be incorporated into the games lessons whilst swimming willstill take place separately. This change will allow us to teachmore games skills alongside playing fixtures, and to supportthis, our team squads in major sports will be open ratherthan selective.

Finally, we are upgrading many of the schools computersand looking forward to the arrival of four tablet computers,the use of which we shall be trialling in Year 6.

There are over 4,000 members of the Rydal Penrhos Society,with ages ranging from 18 to over 100, and with a huge variety of occupations and interests. These members have anincredible bank of knowledge and experience which, ifshared, could be a tremendous asset to our pupils. Thisprompted us to ask our alumni to consider becoming Careers Mentors for current pupils.

Rydal Penrhos provides a fantastic careersservice, offering advice and guidance regarding career choices and university applications, however nothing will evermatch the knowledge of someone who hasreal experience in their chosen field.

Our aim is to work alongside the school careers service togive pupils the opportunity to have their questions answeredby people with a real understanding of their chosen occupation. This service will not be limited to current pupilshowever, as Mentors can also be available for those who arejust starting out on the career ladder, or those who are having a change of direction later in life. We have had a fantastic response so far, and now have a group of formerpupils ready and waiting to answer questions!

If you are a former pupil of the school and are not currentlyin touch with the Rydal Penrhos Society, please contact SarahRitchie, Alumni & Development Director, atSJRitchie@rydal-penrhos.com.

Prep School News

The History Department visited Rome during June 2012. Gabriel McCluskey, Year 10 offershis account of the trip:

Our first full day in Rome was a frenzy of activity, with a group made up of pupils from Years 10to 13 visiting two of Italy’s capital’s greatest and busiest locales; the seat of religious power that isthe Vatican City and the glorious and beautiful expanse that is the Piazza San Pietro, or the squareof Saint Peter and the Church of that self-same moniker. Truly, the inherent beauty of these build-ings, these trophies of mankind’s endeavours and faith, cannot be instilled into the most sophis-ticated of words, but must be experienced and witnessed to be truly comprehended andappreciated.

On our second full day in Rome we again visited some of its greatest spectacles, the Coliseum and the Forum, both sights which inspired an almost beatific feeling in several members of the group. We also witnessed some papers of vast historical importance in the ‘Lux in Arcana’ museum exhibit, including a transcript of a trial that was nearly60 metres long; edicts of war between countries; the signatures of men and women of vast importance both historical and cultural even today; ledgers and inter-Vatican missives so far unseen by the general public.

Our far too brief excursion to Rome was one that will certainly remain with its participants for years, although Rome was not built in a day it will certainly leave millions of people across the width and breadth of the Earth with memories that will last themfor their entire lives. And I, for one, am deeply thankful that I was permitted to experience such aplace so soon in my life. Thanks go to Mr Bennett and Mr Lavin for taking us.

History Department visit Rome